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APRIL 30, 2003 B-SCHOOL Q&A: ADMISSIONS Talking about Tuck Admissions Director Kristine Laca and two MBA students answer questions on getting into the No. 10 B-school B-school rankings, joined BusinessWeek Online for a live chat on Apr. 23. Laca was accompanied by Tuck second-year student Michael Barrows and first-year Katie Gore. The three fielded questions -- about everything from getting off the wait list to getting a job after graduation -- from a live audience and from BusinessWeek Online Management Education Reporter Brian Hindo. Here's an edited transcript of the chat: Q: What was application volume at Tuck like this cycle? Laca: Similar to all of the top business schools, we're hearing that the application volume is down this year. The volume continued to be very strong with U.S. applicants, but we saw a slight decline in international applicants, which could be due to the economy or the current political situation. Q: How did your new November early-action round affect things, if at all? Laca: We had a great experience with early action this year. We were very excited to see so many applicants making Tuck as their first choice, and the caliber of those applicants was very good. From the standpoint of affecting the overall process, we looked at early action as another one of the rounds, so there was not an effect. Q: Michael and Katie, can you each tell us something that surprised you about Tuck?
Q: What's the procedure for re-applicants? Laca: Any applicant considering reapplying to Tuck should call us for a feedback conversation. We're happy to provide feedback for all applicants. Historically, Tuck looks very favorably on applicants who have been able to strengthen their applications in ways that would address any of our concerns. We're in the process of developing next year's application, and there will be special instructions for reapplicants. Q: What percent of reapplicants are successful their second time around? Laca: I don't know, but I do know that we do look very favorably upon reapplicants. Q: For reapplicants who change their recommendation sources, will the admissions committee also look back at last year's recommendations? Laca: Yes. We look at previous applications for reapplicants. Q: What's the classroom experience like? Tuck's campus is somewhat self-contained -- does it ever get claustrophobic? Gore: I love the classroom experience at Tuck. I feel like I've had a great chance to really get to know faculty as well as most of the students in my class. Our classes have 60 people, and we rotate sections each term, so I've gotten a great feel for my class and all of their interesting experiences. Barrows: [Claustrophobia] wasn't really an issue for me. As the first term is so intense, it created a great sense of team spirit in the class. We all come to Tuck knowing it will be different than most of our previous urban experiences. There are a lot of advantages to being in Hanover, N.H. -- especially because of the sense of community it instills in the class. Gore: I agree that I haven't found it claustrophobic. Q: Is it possible to visit the campus some time in early May, or would that be too late? Laca: People are welcome to come and visit us anytime. They just need to contact admissions. Our Web site has all of our contact information, and we strongly encourage people to come visit Hanover. I think Tuck is the kind of place that one needs to visit to fully appreciate. Q: When do you advise applicants to visit the campus? Laca: One of the best times is in the fall. Not only is it beautiful in Hanover, but it gives applicants an opportunity to attend classes that are part of the first-year core, as well as second-year electives. Q: How important is the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) score in an application? Laca: The GMAT is just one of the many things that we look at. I often tell applicants that it's most important to look at the range of accepted GMATs rather than just the average GMAT. The range at Tuck usually is between about 530 and 800, and last year's average was 695. We are looking at a holistic application, and the GMAT is just one data point. We obviously want to make sure that every student will be successful academically. The GMAT is one of many indicators that help predict academic success. We're looking at many things in every application -- we look for clear examples of leadership, of teamwork, of strong interpersonal skills and academic success. Q: What percentage of applicants with GMAT scores above the median are rejected? Laca: I would strongly encourage applicants to not be so fixated on GMAT! While it's something we look at, it isn't the be-all, end-all of the application. There are times when applicants take the GMAT multiple times in hopes of improving their score by 10, 20, or 30 points. The reality is, that small margin will not make that application successful or unsuccessful. Each applicant should concentrate on providing a clear, holistic picture of who they are as an applicant, and that includes what they've achieved, what they could bring to a classroom, what they hope to do. Ultimately, we're looking for people who will be contributing members to Tuck and to society. Q: How would you recommend applicants from the high-tech industry distinguish themselves from the rest of the application pool? Laca: All applicants -- not just applicants from the high-tech industry -- should think about clear ways that they can help set their application apart. Oftentimes, this can be done in essays and the interview. Q: Can full-time work during undergraduate years compensate for lack of post-graduate work experience? Laca: It would depend on the scope of the work. It's unusual, but we have seen rare instances in which it can compensate. Q: What's Tuck doing to ensure its graduates have jobs upon completion of their MBA? Barrows: A lot. The career-services team is spending a lot of time on the road cultivating new relationships. Also, the strength of the alumni network is proving a real asset. There are also more student trips going out to visit companies. Ultimately though, in the current climate we all have to take a lot of responsibility for our own career path and be a little creative. The size of the school means there's a lot of personal attention, and the alumni are also very approachable. Just two weeks ago I was able to meet the former deputy CEO of Boeing (BA ) at Tuck, and that may well turn into something fruitful going forward. Gore: I've been really impressed with how much career services has done to help us with the job search. For summer internships, we always had people there to help us practice interviews, give us advice, provide contacts, etc. One of the great things about Tuck is that members of the career-services staff know each person individually, so they have their eyes peeled for YOU. I was looking for jobs in health care, and I had a ton of great opportunities. I ended up deciding on Genentech (DNA ) out in San Francisco, which came to Tuck to recruit.
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